Signaling apparatus.



J. A. KEESEY 64 A. SHEDLOCK.

Patented Apr. 22,

ATTORNEY I AES FFl OE. A

lToHN ARTHUR. KEESEY, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AND ALF-nun SHEDLOCK, or

CANN' ON DALE, CONNECTICUT; SAID SHEDLGCK ASSIGNOR TO SAID KEESEY.

SIGNALING APPARATUS.

To. all, whom it may concern:

1 Be it known that we, JoHN ARTHUR KEEsEY and ALFRED SHEnLooK, citizens of the United States,-residing, respectively, at Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York, and Cannondale, Fairfield county, State of Connecticut, have jointly invented new and useful Improvements in Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The central or main communicating stations of mechanicaltelegraph systems are often equipped with two or more machines, adapted to coact with individual message receiving and sending machines located at different distant stations.

This invention has for its object to 00m bine in a single apparatus, for use at the main communicating station, a plurality of message sending and message receiving devices and their accompanying operating appurtenances. Another object is to cause aural-signals to be sounded on a single gong, that is common to all of the message re ceiving devices of the apparatus, when each of the said message receiving devices is actuated, without interfering with the mechanism of the other devices. A further object is to provide simple means for adjusting and taking up slack occurring in the connec tions of coacting apparatus to insure positiveness of action between them and to enable the indicating pointers of coacting apparatus to be set to work or move in unison.

These features with other improvements in the constructionof this class of apparatus are illustrated in the accompanying drawings to which we-will now refer.

Figure 1, is a face view of one end of the apparatus showing a. message indicating dial, the operating handles and the pointers.

Fig. 2, a similar view of the other end of the apparatus.

Fig. 3, a longitudinal vertical taken on the line 3, 3, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4, a transverse section 'on the line 4, 4, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5, a sectional view of one of the operating handles, at right angles to the view Fig. 3'. I i

Fig. 6, a detached view of one of the pointers, showing the method of its adjustment, and:

section,

Fig. 7, a vertical section of an apparatus adapted for use at a subsidiary station to.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' latented Apr. 22, 1919.

Application filed September 28, 1917. Serial No. 193,631.

operate in conjunction with one of the messagesending and one of the return message receiving devices of the main communicating apparatus, and:

Fig. 8,a plan-view of one half of the mainapparatus,showing the principal operating devices in full and with the upper half of the cylindrical casing removed.

.The inclosing case of the "apparatus is cylindrical, formedin halves 9, and 10, see Fig. 4 of the drawing,.longitudinally divided and secured together by screws 11, which pass through one of the parts into flanges formed inside the edges of the other part. Bearings, &c., for the various mechanisms are provided in centrally divided web frames, inside of and preferably integral with the two-halves of the cylindrical casing, One of the web frames 12, is located at the central part and others 13, near each end of the casing. The bearings for the central shafts 14, which carry all of the message sending and receiving wheels and for the hammer shafts 15, 1-5, which are located at the sides of the wheels, are in the horizontal divisions of the web frames. The bearing shafts 16, 16, of the guide pulleys forthe chains and all other operatingparts of the apparatus are carried by the lower half of the cylindrical body. This construction provides for ready removal of the uper art of the casin facilitatin assem Message indicating dials 18, 19, are divided at their horizon-diameters, the halves of each of them being secured respectively 1 to the end frames 13, of the upper and lower halves of the casing.

The multi-message or order sending and receiving apparatus shown is adapted for communication between a central and four distinct distant stations. It is, by the markings on the dials illustrated, intended for use on a ship, to be located on the bridge or other ofi'icers station to communicate with the engineers departments of the starboard and port engines, as shown atFlg. 1, and

with the bow and stern docking crews, as shown at Fig. 2.

There are four chain wheels, two for sending and two for receiving messages, located between the central web frame 12, and each of the end web frames 13. These two sets of wheels and their appurtenances are in all essential respects similar, so a description one set applies to both, like parts being similarly designated.

"'llhe inner ends of the shafts 14, seat in a bearing 20, of; the central web frame 12, and their outer. ends extend through the central bores of the end web frames 13. Each shaftcarries or is integral with a chain wheel 21, which carries a chain 22; adjacent this wheel is a wheel 23, on which is a chain 24:; the next wheel 25, carries a chain 26, and on the outer wheel 27, is a chain 28.

On the outer end of one of the shafts 14:, is adjustably secured an operating handle 29, provided with a pointer 30; a handle 31, providedwith a pointer 32, is connected to the chain wheel 23, being adjustably secured to its sleeve 33, which is fitted to rotate on the shaft 14. These adjusting means provide for setting the pointers 30 and 32, to agree with the indicating pointers of a coacting apparatus locatedat a distant station, as hereafter described, andi may consist of disks 34: and'35, and tightening nuts 36 and 37, on the shaft 1%,and sleeve 33, respectively, the hubs of the handles being between the disks and nuts. The disks are keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft and sleeve and the contacting faces of the disks and hubs of the handles are provided with engaging teeth or radially serrated to insure rigid connections between the handles and their respective chain wheels.

The chain wheel 25, is on a sleeve which rotates on the sleeve 33, and the wheel 27, has a sleeve rotatable on the sleeve of wheel 25, and is fitted to rotate in the central bore of the web frame 13. On the outer ends of the sleeves of the wheels 25 and 27 are attached pointers 38 and 39, and located in front of" the indicating dial 18, they are adapted to be adjusted and suitably set. These adjusting means are shown as segmental disks 10, 11, having peripheral flanges and are firmly secured to the outer ends of the sleeves ofthe wheels 35 and 37 thepointers being formed to seat on the flanged peripheries of' the segmental disks and held thereon by screws, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6;

The operating handles 42, 43, with their pointers 4 1, 15, of the docking indicating end of the apparatus, see Fig. 2, are, when in normal position, preferably diametrically'arranged and are adjustably connected to their respective chain wheels in manner similar to the connections of the handles 29, 31, and the return signal pointers 46, 17,

at this end of the apparatus are carried on segmental disks 10, 41, connected to their respective chain wheels, in manner before described.

The message receiving wheels have projecting from their sides pins or teeth a8, see Fig. 8, preferably equal in number to the divisions of the indications on the dials. These teeth work against the double acting pawls 49, 49, carried on short arms 50, 50, which are secured to the shafts 15, 15, see Fig. 8, the pawls of one of the shafts being acted upon or about to be acted upon by the teeth while the pawls of the-other shaft will be in spaces between the teeth, as shown, whereby, when any of the return signal wheels are moved both shaftsrwill be rocked 'for'each full movement of a tooth and as the pointer of the actuating wheel is, in accordance with the pointer of the sendingsignal: apparatus, moving from one indicating CllVlSlOIl to another. The gong'51, is thus struck by the two hammers 52, 53, which are carried by the shafts 15, 15, through the medium of the reaction springs 54, applied to hammers or to'the shafts in the usual manner. The gong 51, is secured to the central web frame. 1

When it is required to send different orders to the crews of the enginesjof twin propellers the handles 29, 31, will be separately manipulated, but to facilitate sending the same orders to both of the crewsprovisions are made for locking the two handles together, so that the two receiving apparatus will be simultaneously set. A simple arrangement for this purpose consists in making one of the handles, as handle 31, see Fig. 5, slidable on its lever and-providing engaging lugs 55, see Fig. 3, adapted, when handle 31, is depressed,flto lock the two handles together. To retain'the handle 31, on its lever and to limit its movement thereon a screw 56, passes through theside of the handle intoa notch formed in the side of thelever, and a toothed spring'57, attached to the other side of the lever engages the lower end of the handle 31, and holds itclear of the handle 29. Thehandle 31 is held in depressed position by the tooth of 28, extend down through the bottom or the cylindrical casing 1 after passing over guide pulleys 58, which are fitted to freely rotate on theshaftslti, 16f Theseshaftsxare held in the web frames l2, I3.

59, designates the upper end of a pedestal or standard to which the apparatus maybe connected by screws or boltsfid. appliedto flanges at the upper end of the pedestal, curvedfl to properly hold the cylindrical body. r

Stops 61, are provided for limiting the movements of the operating handles within theirproper range of action. These stops may becast or formed with the cylindrical casing as lugs projecting from the end edges.

. To insure correct transmission of messages and orders between the main and substations, and so avoid mistakes, it'is essential that the connected apparatus be at all times inproper Working condition and work uniformlytogether; therefore means are provided' for readily correcting imperfections occurring in the operating and indicating devices. Such means are shown in an apparatus suitable for use at substations, see Fig. 7, adapted to coaet with the adjusting devices of the main station apparatus, before described. This Fig. 7, is a vertical section giving the operating parts in detail sufficientlyclear to enable a proper understandingof the coa-cting operations of the two apparatus; it being understood that the chains of the cooperating devices ofthe two apparatus will be suitably connectedby rods, &c. The dial 62, is attached to the front plate 63, which is adequately connected to the rear plate 64. A shaft 65, has a bearing in the rear plate and extends through a'central bore in the front plate. This shaft carries apulley or wheel 66, to which end of the chain 67, is fastened, and adjacent this wheel is a wheel 68, similarly holdlng a chain 69. The chains 67, and 69, pass around their respective wheels in opposite directions. Wheel 68, is connected to or forms part of a sleeve 7 O, rotatably seated on the shaft 65. A handle 71, loosely fitted on the shaft is clamped between disks 72, 73, keyed on the shaft and the sleeve respectively, by a nut 7 4:, on the end of the shaft, whenthe disks and their connected wheels have been turned to tighten the chains 67, 69, and all their con nections; the handle having been set with its pointer 75, at a mark on the dial corresponding to the. mark on the dial of the main apparatus at which the return signal pointer of the connected device is set. This pointer which may be the one designated 38, is also adjustable relative to its operating chain 26; this double adjustment greatly facilitates setting the two apparatus to work in unison. On the sleeve is the sleeve of the wheel 76, carrying a chain 77, and adjacent this wheel is a wheel 78, to which is attached a chain 79, and which is on a sleeve having a. bearing in the front plate 63. The chain 77 passes from one side of the wheel 76, and the chain 7 9 passes from the opposite side of the wheel 78. The wheels 76 and 78 are connected together by adjustable means and then act as a single chain wheel or pulley. Disks 80, 81, are keyed to the ends of the sleeves of the wheels 76, 78, and between them is the hub of a pointer 82, which, by nut 83, fitted on the end of the sleeve 76, is

clamped between the two disks. The chains 7 7 and 7 9, act as a single chain and constitute a. partof a complete connection by being connected to the chain 22, of the main app'a 'atus, whose operating handle 29, is set to accord with the pointer 82, when the slack in this part of the system has been taken up by manipulating the disks 80, 81.

The other message sending wheels and receiving wheels of the main apparatus are similarly connected in pairs with apparatus located at other substations.

84, designates a disk gong, 85, a hammer carried on a rock shaft 86, which, by anattached escapement, is actuated by teeth 87, projecting from the side of one of the wheels of the message receiving device. The message indications on the dial 62, are similar to and correspond with the messa e markings on the dial of the main apparatus indicated by the pointers of the connected operating devices.

The cylind ical casing is fully inclosed and the operating parts of the apparatus protected by glass covers 88, applied to the ends of the casing. These glass'covers are shown held in flanged rims 89, which fit inside the end edges of the casing and are held therein by screws. When the upper half of the casing is to be removed the screws connecting it to the rims 89, are taken out. The glass plates with their rims may be centrally divided, in manner similar to the division of the'dials, each of the halves thereof being left secured to the upper and lower halves respectively of the casing when the upper half of the casing is removed.

We claim:

1. A central station signaling apparatus, comprising a plurality of message sending wheels and an equal number of message receiving wheels all on a common axis, adapted to be connected in pairs with a similar pair of message receiving and sending wheels of a signaling apparatus located at each of different substations, a dial having thereon a plurality of sets of messages, an operating handle provided with a pointer and adjustably connected to each of the message sending wheels, a pointer adjustably connected to each of the message receiving wheels, a gong common to all of the message receiving wheels and means actuated by each and all of the message receiving wheels for giving aural signals by the gong.

2. A central station signaling apparatus, comprising a plurality of message sending wheels and an equal number of message receiving wheels, a cylindrical casing, a central shaft having bearings centrally arranged in the cylindrical casing and which carries all of the wheels, a shaft at each side of the wheels and parallel to their axis, a pawl for each of the message receiving wheels, a pawl carrying arm on each of the side shafts for each of the message receiving wheels, pins or teeth on said wheelsfor actuating the pawl arms, a single gong, a hammer carried by each side shaft adapted to strike the gong when the side shafts are rocked, an operating handle provided with a pointer and adjustably connected to each of the message sending, wheels, a dial having, thereon a plurality of sets of messages and a. pointer adjustably connected to each of. the message receiving wheels.

3. A central station signaling; apparatus, comprising a plurality of message sending wheels and an equal number. of message re ceiving wheels, adapted to be connected in pairs with a similar pair of message receiving and sending wheels of a signalingapparatus located at each ofidifi'erent substations, a dial having thereon a plurality of sets of messages, an operating handle provided with a pointer and connected to each of the message sending wheels, a pointer connected to each of the message receiving wheels, a gong common to all of the message receiving wheels and means actuated by each and all of the message receiving wheels for giving aural signals by the gong.

4. A central station signaling apparatus, comprising a plurality of message sending wheels and an equal'number ofmessage receiving wheels, adapted to be connected in pairs with a similar pair of message receiving and sending wheels of a signaling apparatus at each of different substations, a cylindrical casing, a central shaft having bearings therein and which carries all of the wheels, a shaft at each side of the wheels and parallel to their axis, a double acting pawl and a carryingarm therefor secured'to each of the side shafts andfor each of the message receiving wheels, pins or teeth on the sides of said wheels for actuating the pawl arms, a single gong, a hammer carried by each side shaft adapted to strike the; gong when the side shaftsiare rocked, an operating-handle provided with a pointer {LlldiCOIlr' nectedto each of. the message sendingwheels, a pointer connected to each of the message receiving wheels and a dial havingathereon a plurality of sets of messages.

5. A central station signaling apparatus, comprising a plurality of message sending wheels, each adapted to be connected to a message receiving wheel of asignalingapparatus located at a distant substation, a dialv having a plurality ofsets of messages thereon, an operating handle 1 provided with a pointer and connectedto each of. the message sending wheels, means carried: by one of the operating handles wherebyv it may be connected, at will, to another operating handle, thus causing twosubstation apparatusito be simultaneously actuatediby the operating. handle provided with the connecting means.

6. A- central: station signaling apparatus,

comprising a plurality of messagesending wheels each adapted to be connected to a message receiving Wheel of a signaling apparatus located at a distant substation, a

dial having, a plurality of sets of; messages thereon, an operating-lever providedv with a handle and a 1301111361! and connected to each of the. message wheels, one of saidv handles being fitted to slide on itslever, and pro vided with means for connecting. itto another handle, whereby two substation apparatus are simultaneouslyactuated by the op eratinghandle provided Withthe connecting means.

Signed at New York, county and Stateof Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0. 

